Boat-launching device



C. F. ELL-[SON ET AL BOAT LAU'NCHING DEVICE Nov. 27 1923.

Filedsept. 15. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i/f/.L/so/x iii/755119? 4 I @ab 65. @MJL www Nov. 27 1923.

c. F. E LLlsoN ET AL BOAT LAUNGHING DEVI CE Filed sept. 15. 41922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Nov. 27, 1923,

umrsa 'stares' aa'rENr' i caries.

CHARLES F. ELLISON, QF'CRISTOBAL, PANA1VIA, CANAL ZONE, AND EDWARD F. IIBEYER,

oF NEW ORLEANS, LoursrANA. l

BOAT-LAUNCHING DEvrcE.

Application led September '15, 1922. Serial No.` 588,326.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. ELLIsoN and EDWARD -FLooD BEYER, citizens ofthe United States, and residing, respectively,l at Cristobal, Panama, Canal Zone, and New Orleans, parishV of Orleans, and vState of Louisiana, have inventedy certain new and useful Improvements `ink Boat-Launching Devices, of whichk the following is a specification.

The subject matter of the inventionrelates particularly to means for launching vboats from steamships and is particularly designed for use while the Steamship is under way. The primary object of the invention is the provision of a launching device of this character which is operative with comparative' safety regardless of the position of the ship whether rolling in a seaway or in calm waters. And for this purpose means are provided for retaining the boat in proper position as it is being launched and-guiding the boat down the ships side to the surface of the water in such manner that the boat is prevented from swinging with :relation to the ship. Novel means are provided for automatically releasing and floating the boat from its launching devices orsupports when the boat reaches the waters surface. v

While in launching position, the boat and its load are supported on the launchingdevice, and the boat is held by its own weight,

in locked position in its support which is the launching device.. `The'release of theboat from its launching device'is automatically accomplished as theload and support of the boat is shifted from the launching device to the'water whenY the boat reaches and floats on the surface of the water. A

The construction of the launching device involves a comparatively small number of parts; the device is compactly arranged and ready forinstant use, and may be manipu# i lated with facility by a minimum number of hands or members of the crew.

YT-he" invention consists in vcertain hno vel combinations and arrangements of `parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed. y

yIn the accompanying drawings one complete eXample of the physical embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein the .partsl are combined land arranged according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application ofthe principles of the invention.

Figure 1 Vis a view in side elevation at the side 'of a ship showing'the life boat in posi tion to receive passengers -andready for launching. i

vlligure 2 is a transverse -sectionalview showing so much of a ship as is necessary to illustrate the relationof parts, the lifeboat being .shown stowed away in normalposition on the boat-deck of the ship, and in dotted linesfshown as water borne, just before it is 'utomatically released by. the `act of flot-aion.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view looking at theqbow of the boat, as in position of Figure il, withthevboat .supported in the launching device.

Figure 4f is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the relation of partsafter the boat because of its flotation has automatically released itself from the launching` device.

Figure 5 is a detail, top planv view of one of the supporting cradles of the launching device. Y

Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view showing the cradle locking deviceVv Wherebygthe boat is supported,vand the` keel of the boat holding the device in locked yposition. y

In order that the relation of parts may readily be understood the boat deck of a Steamship is `indicated at l and the side of the ship is designated as 2. The launching device includes two pairs yof flanged plates as 3 and 4 riveted or otherwise secured to the outside of the shipand eXtending,ras at` 5 a sullicient distance inboard at the boat deck l. These pairsof plates are spaced the required distancc apart in,- parallelism, and 'the plates of the pairs are spaced apart to form reta-ining and guiding grooves `forthe movable members of the launching device, which include a' forward cradlevt Yand an after cradle 7,.that are, openable as will be de- ,The cradles are ofpropersilze'and shape to support the boat 8, which may be a life boat of' standard or usual type and is designed to be lowered or raised, while supported in the complementary cradles, along the side of the ship. As the construction and operation of the two cradles are the same, aY description of one together with the identification of its parts will suffice for both cradles. n

Each cradle is fashioned with an outwardly and upwardly curving leg 9 having a lower end lug or foot 10 which is of correct size and shape as to slide freely in the groove or guideway formed by the flanged plates 3 and 4. A reversely curved, inboard arm 11 is formed integral with the leg 9 and this arm is fashioned with a lug or head 12 similar to the foot 10 of theleg 9, and guided in the guide ways 3 and 4. Thus the rigid portions of the cradles formed by the arms 11 and legs 9 have movable attaching and guiding means for holding the cradles in upright position as it is lowered or hoisted along the side ofthe ship.

Each cradle is provided with a suspendfr shackle 13 swiveled to the head 12, and

in in nected to. these spaced shackles, to which bridle the wire cab-le or rope 15 is connected. The launching cable 16 is normally wound on the drum 16 of a winch or other hoisting mechanism, and may pass over one or more guide rollers Yor sheaves 17 located at, required points on the ship for guiding and permitting free movement of the launching cable. The winch is controlled in usual manner by a friction brake or clutch for controlling the movement of the cable and may manned by a single member of the crew.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the cradles are openable to permit flotation of the boat when-thelatter has been lowered by the ,cradlesv to the waters surface, and the retaining or locking means which hold the cradles closed, are automatically released as soon as the boat is floated, thus permitting the opening movement, by gravity, of 'the cradles to free the boat.

EachA cradle has an outboard arm 18 fashioned with a head 19, the arm being curved in shape, complementary to the inboard arm 11. to form a support for the boat and hold the latter in upright position. The head 19 is pivoted at 20 and fits into a socket 21 formed at thejuncture of the arm 11 and leg 9, and when not retained by positive means the outboard arm is of sufficient weight to cause a swinging movement to open position as in Figure Within the head 19 of the arm is carried locking bolt 23 adapted to slide in the bolt-socket 22,-and a bushing 24 is fixed in the socket as a housing for the locking bolt, which slides and is guided therein in its movements. At one end the Figure 1 a wire bridle 14 is shown con.

slide bolt is beveled to form a locking head 25 adapted to engage the keeper-notch 26 formed as an extension in one of the walls Y of the socket 21, and at Vthe other end of the bolt a spring 27 is interposed between the bushing 24 and the enlarged head 28 of the ioned with a head r324 in position to be engaged by the bottom of the keel of the boat, as 33. Thus in Figure 6, where the parts are locked together, it will be seen that the slide bolt is directly engaged with the cradle to hold the pivoted arm 18 in upright position, the bolt is engaged by the latch to holdthe former in projected position, and the latch is engaged by the keel of the boat to hold the latch immovable. vllVhen the keel of the boat is withdrawn fromcontact with the latch, .the spring 27 retractsth-e bolt, swinging the latch on its pivot, thus releasing the head 19 of the arm 18, and the arm then falls, by gravity, swinging on its pivot 20, and falling away from the Voutboard side of the boat. Y I

As before stated this unlocking and releasing movement isl accomplished by flotation of the boat and the relief o-f its load from the latch, thereby freeing the boat from the cradles.

In launching the boat from the upper position of Figure 2, the lashings or other securing means for retaining the boat in its cradles are first released. The boat is then pushed with its cradles off the boat, deck and lowered to position, as in Figure 1, .to receive passengers. Preferably the boatis suspended from the wire cable and 1bridle with its stern slightly lower than the bow, i. e. the after cradle being slightly lower than the forward cradle due to proper arrangement of the bridle. `When lowering away the rudder is shipped and a man placed atthe tiller, and as the stern strikes the water before the bow of the boat, the rudder is immediately effective when the tiller is turned toward the ship, to steer the boat from the ships side. As the boat is floated, it is automatically released from its cradles as described.

Should the launching occur while the shi i is rolling, it will be apparent that the b oat is held safely suspended in its cradles until the proper instant when the list of the ship floats the boat on the surface of the water.

When the launching occurs while the ship llO is under Way no time is lost in preparing-to man overboard, the: boat may be launched with 4,the Steamship under full speed, and' the boat, which is automatically released as it strikesthe Water, may then be steered without loss .of time to the person overboard. In such case, the fact that the stern of the boat strikes the Water first and the bow is elevated, prevents the boat from being submerged when forward movement is imparted thereto by the forwardly moving ship, and also insures that the rudder may take hold in the Water instantly for steering and controlling the movement of the boat.

From the above description taken in connection with our drawings it will be apparent that the device of the invention is fully capable of performing its functions With safety, reliability and dispatch, and in a shipshape manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is herein claimed is l. A boat launching device having a movable member and retaining means for holding said member in operative position for supporting` a boat, and locking means carried by the cradle and in contact With the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

2. In a boat launching device the combination with suspending'means, of boat supporting devices each having a movable member, and locking means carried by the cradle and in contact With the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

3. In a boat launching device, the combination with suspending means, of a boat supporting device adapted for submersion and locking means carried by the cradle and in contact with the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat,

, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

4. The combination With a suspending device of a pair of boat-supporting cradles each including a releasable member adapted to be freed when the boat is floated, and locking means carried by the cradle and in Contact with the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

5. The combination in a boat launching cradle having a releasable member, of locking means carried by the hcradle and in contact Withthe boatheld in locking position `by Ithe Weight of the b-oat, and an f automaticunlockin'g device for the bolt operative upon the release Lot the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

c 6, The-combination ina boat launching cradleV having a releasable supporting arm adapted to be'released upon flotation of a boat, and locking means 'carried by the cradle in Contact with the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

7. The combination with a pair of cradles and suspending means thereto-r, of a releasable support-ing arm on each cradle, and locking means carried by the cradle in contact with the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the. release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

8. The combination With spaced tracks, suspending and lowering means, a pair of cradles and means for guiding said cradles in said tracks, of a releasable supporting arm on each cradle, and locking means carried by the cradle in contact Withthe boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device or the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

9. In a launching device, the combination Wit-h a vfixed track, of a cradle having a rigid arm and leg guided in said track, a releasable arm on said cradle, and locking means carried by the cradle in contact With the boat held in locking position by the Weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boat.

l0. The combination in a boat launching cradle having a slidable arm and leg and guiding means therefor, of an varm pivoted in said cradle and a locking bolt carried thereby adapted to engage the cradle, and locking means carried by the cradle in contact With the boat held in locking position by the weight of the boat, and an automatic unlocking device for the bolt operative upon the release of the bolt from the force of gravity of the boa-t.

11. The combination in a boat launching cradle having a pivoted supporting army and a complementary xed arm, of a locking bolt carried by the pivoted arm and adapted to engage the cradle, a pivoted latch carried by the pivoted arm for engaging said bolt, and said latch being in position by the weight of a boat for respring-pressed locking bolts carried by said taining; the bolt in locked position. pivoted arms, and a latch on each pivoted 12. The combination With spaced grooved, arin in Contact with the boat and adapted 10 fixed tracks, of a pair of spaced launching by the Weight of a boat to hold the looking 5 cradles each having a rigid arm and leg and bolts in operative position.

lugs on said members slidable in said tracks, CHARLES F. ELLISON. a pivoted supporting arm on each cradle, EDWARD F. BEYER. 

